In evilwm, applications are launched via the terminal. A terminal session is launched from the keyboard, by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Enter. Alternatively, the terminal can be set to a launcher or something else with the -term [command] switch.

Applications can be switched using Alt + Tab. An application window can be dropped towards the back by pressing Alt + Rightclick within the application window. Pressing Alt + Leftclick on a window or clicking on its border will bring it to the front.

The evilwm window manager is extremely lightweight and rated as a pinhammer on the hammer scale.

The evilwm window manager is awkward to use because it requires the use of both the keyboard and the mouse for operation and windows do not become raised when they are clicked on.

The window manager makes extensive use of keys, and a new user will probably need a list of keys at the terminal. There is no desktop context events, and an operator needs to know how to launch a terminal session. The window manager has a good set of keyboard controls and the keymappings have been well thought out, but the keys are not configurable.

The evilwm window manager is not accessibility friendly because it does not provide keyboard equivalents for some of its operations and is not touchscreen friendly because it requires a multibutton mouse.